Vehicle



JulyQ, 1929'. 09 5 1.719.878

VEHICLE Filed Nov. 2, 1925 INVENTOR ABEL Y. DODGE ATTOR N EY Patented duly 9, 192% UhllTED STATES mam PATENT oFFica.

nnrnn "r. nonen, or sou'rn BEND, INDIANA, AssIenon. 'ro Bnninx BRAKE COMPANY, on onrcaao, rumors, A. conronn'rron or ILLINOIS.

VEHICLE.

Application filed November 2, 1925. Serial No. 66,267.

This invention relates tothe use of the engine of a vehicle as a brake to retard its motion, and is illustrated as embodied in an automobile chassis. The engine of an automobile is quite commonly used to retard the movement of the car, by placing the driving connections in second or low, and the object of the resent invention is to improve its eflioiency or this use. One feature relates it to preventing waste of fuel while the engine is being driven by the car, by providing a novel arrangement including a valve-controlled air passage above the carbureterand the usual throttle valve.

When the engine is used as a brake without any special provision for such use, a

large part of the energy absorbed during the compression stroke is again given out by expansion during the succeeding strokew i. e. durin what would be the power stroke if it ie ignition was on. Various arrangements for obviating-this by special movable cam shafts, etc., have been suggested, but I prefer to provide a drivercontrolled auxiliary outlet, or an outlet for each cylinder, permitting the gradual escape of the compressed air and dissipating a large part of the energy which would otherwise act on the returning piston.

30 One particular construction, and one arrangement of control connections, which will serve to illustrate the prificiple, are shown in the accompanying drawi g, in which:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic longitudinal section through the chassis, showing the engine in side elevation; V

Fig. 2 is a side elevation, on an enlarged scale, of art of the intake manifold, showing the air valve; and

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of one of th fittings for one engine cylinder. v

The illustrated chassis includes a frame carried by front wheels 12 and rear wheels 14 driven through a transmission 16 by a multi-cylinder engine18. The wheels may, if desired, be provided with the usual drum brakes 20. The brakes 20, and the clutch, may be controlled by the usual foot pedals 22 arran ed side by side.

A controller, s iown as a pivoted deceleratorpedal 24, is connected by a link 26 to an arm 28 operating a butterfly valve 30 in a lateral air intake 32 forming a part. of a flanged fitting 84 bolted between the lower end of the usual intake manifold 36 and the upper end of a carbureter or carbureter connection 38 controlled by any usual'throttlev valve 40, fitting 34 being between the throttle valve and the engine. Thus depression of the decelerator pedal 24,-ordinarily after release of the accelerator pedal, closing the throttle valve 40serves to open valve 30 between the engine and the throttle valve, converting the engine into a pump compressing pure air, and reventing waste of fuel.

Pedal 24 is also linked to a bellcranlr lever 42 operating a connecting rod 44 pivoted to an arm 46 rocking a conical ported valve 48 in a fitting 50 screwed into the head of each cylinder, and having a passage 52 opening into the cylinder, and preferably controlled by a check valve 54 insuring that the air will be sucked in through the intake manifold. While the passages 52 might discharge into a reservoir having a valve-controlled single outlet, I prefer the arrangement shown, in which the fittings 50 may be threaded into the petcockopenings usually provided in the cylinder head. By the above-described arrangement,'loss of fuel is obviated, and the efficiency of the engine as a retarding means is increasedby the amount of heat carried off by the air escaping through passages 52, this heat representing converted kinetic ener y of the car, and decreasing the momentum. y that much. The arrangement, while capable of other uses, is especially suitable for heavy'trucks and busses.

It is not my intention to limit the scope of the 'inventlon, to the particular embodiment illustrated, or otherwise than by'the terms of the appended claim.

I claim:

,A vehicle having driving wheels and a multi-cylinder engine connected therewith to drive the wheels, and comprising, in combination, a decelerator pedal, an air intake connected with all the cylinders but separated from the normal air intake therefor, a valve controlling said intake, a pair of exhaust valves for each cylinder separated from the normal exhaust valves thereof and arranged in series, one of said pair of valves decelerator pedal to be opened thereby and to be held open during the time the intake valve is open. I In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name.

ADIEL Y. DODGE. 

